This Way to Forever

by Loren Kleinman

Sara Brody thought she had met her soulmate in Tad Bolak, a charming exchange student. Their whirlwind romance includes nights staring at the stars, declarations of love, and promises to talk often when Tad must return to his native Poland to complete his Master’s Degree. But Sara’s idealistic view of Tad and plans to be together when he gets his degree come to a shattering halt when he admits to having a fiancee back home.

Heartbroken, she vows to keep her heart safe from men and focuses on her own studies. Until she meets Ethan.

Sara discovers that no relationship is perfect, especially when one still mourns past loves. Tad never gives up on her. Ethan wants her to give their relationship a chance. And Sara wonders what will become of her sense of self if she gives in to either man.

207 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2017

About the author

Loren Kleinman's nonfiction has appeared in Ms., The New York Times, The New York Daily News, the Huffington Post, Ploughshares, Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Woman’s Day, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, BUST, USA Today, The Rumpus and more. She is the editor of the anthology Indie Authors Naked, which was an Amazon Top 100 bestseller in Journalism in the UK and USA. Kleinman’s The Dark Cave Between My Ribs was named one of the best poetry books of 2014 by Entropy Magazine. Her co-edited collection with Amye Archer My Body, My Words (Big Table Publishing), was named one of the “11 New Feminist Books That Could Totally Change Your Year” by Bustle. My Body, My Wordsalso received praise from Hello Giggles, BUST, Pop Sugar, WOW! Women on Writing,The Brooklyn Rail and more. Her short film, Suffering Is the Easy Part, directed and produced by Jaime Ekkens, is distributed by Seed&Spark and Docademia.

Reviews

[Anelise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from the author, Loren Kleinman, through BookTasters so thank you for that.

This Way to Forever is a contemporary novel about Sara Brody. It follows her as she falls in love with Tad Bolak and gets her heart broken more times than she can handle. It starts with her finding out Tad has a fiancee back in Europe and ending with something that would break anyone’s heart if it happened to them.

After Sara starts college, she meets Ethan and falls in love with him, glad that she doesn’t think of Tad anymore, but still can’t get rid of him. At this point, Tad wants her back, but Ethan wants Sara to give their relationship a chance. Who will she choose? Her soulmate Tad who has broken her, or her love Ethan who helped her get better?

This book was nice read, stepping away from my favorite genre fantasy, being a contemporary novel. I really liked how this was a quick read, as it took me less than two hours to get through the whole book. I also liked Mitchell. He was one of my favorite characters in the story. He is best friends with Sara and even though he wasn’t one of the “main” characters, I still liked him.

I feel like Sara fell in love with both Tad and Ethan really quickly, or at least it didn’t take many chapters. If that part was stretched out a bit so there was more about how Sara fell in love with Tad, and later Ethan, I would like that a bit more. It seemed kind of rushed to me.

I really liked reading this book, and hope others find this book and read it too.

[Prapti Panda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went quite out of my preferred genre with this romance. And I must say, this book has everything a romance should contain, with the exception of a true storyline. As a writer myself, I paid a lot of attention to Lorena Kleinman's writing, and believe me, it was flawless. But the plot proved to be the hitch- it was quite immature and sadly, exhaustive after a while. Generally, any author seeks to gather compassion and empathy from the readers for the lead character, which in this case was a woman aspiring to be a poet. While I did manage to pity her bad luck in finding love, I sure didn't "fall in love" with her personality. It might just be my point of view, but a line uttered by one of the lead's companions sums up her whole character very nicely- "You're an escape artist. You can't face anything. You can't even face yourself." Whoa! Definitely not a person to catch my fancy. The other characters were also a bit superficial, for example, Tad, the heroine's first love. He cried all the time. I mean. what's all that about? Sure, emotions show vulnerability, but that much crying only serves to make the reading dull.
Although, I had to read between the lines to catch that, the author has much better chance excelling in poetry. Reading the few lines she managed to fit into the story, I have no doubt that she is an excellent poet. Basically, what I'm trying to say is, Lorena is good at prose, but I don't think they'll ever match up with her poetry-writing skills. What's more, I think she could have condensed the story a tad (pun intended!). Descriptions of loneliness and heartache are very smoothly written, but there's too much.
I would certainly recommend this book as a fine specimen of the literary style of writing. And I definitely think you should give a shot to her poetry if you ever find it available.

[Ailyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have received this book for a fair review from the author, this will not affect my judgement.

The story starts with Sara Brody meeting a charming, handsome exchange student from Poland in a party. Despite knowing that Tad is not here for long, Sara insists on having a date or two. Tad Bolak becomes her first true love, and they have a whirlwind of a time together. Sara and Tad decides to continue their relationship long distance after feeling that they can make it work. The first part of the story is filled with loving notes and romantic poems, like a fairy tale romance.

When Tad and Sara bump into rough relationship waters, this part was where the story was tested the most. Sara is dramatic and emotional, while Tad is more of a background guy who is the source of her dramatic angst. There is nothing original about the plot and story, and the characters simply behave as normal people would.

Hence This Way to Forever may be a light read for those who likes a warm romance story, about a young woman learning to choose and let go. I did not find Sara to my liking, because she has borderline irrational most of the time, and somehow I cannot believe most of story. That is because I was in a long distance relationship too, so there are parts missing for me as someone who has been through it.

Overall, This Way to Forever is good story, but it is just one of many with similar background and story. The characters did not stand out for me, so made the whole thing fall flat. I would recommend it if you like a dramatic love triangle, and you want to know who she went for in the end.

[Danielle Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loren Kleinman's "This Way to Forever" is a good read. It's a story of a choice between two suitors. It feels very real. I've had relationships like both of these. The writing it very detailed and it makes you want to keep reading. There is a closed door approach to the intimate scenes. I will definitely check out this author again.

[Sammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Love is the most uncertain story we'll ever know."

This is a lovely, fast paced (sometimes stressful) romance novel by Loren Kleinman. I applaud Kleinman, especially as this is her first novel she has written.

The main character, Sara, is a very relatable character throughout the book, but can be quite naïve when love is involved in the equation. The story follows Sara's life as she falls in love for the first time with the handsome Polish man she meets at a party, Tad. She soon realises the problems with having a long distance relationship and finds it difficult to follow her future in education or love. BE WARNED- it gets very cheesy very often! I mean, don't get me wrong, I love cheese as much as the next guy, but this book is very Stilton whilst every other book is mild cheddar.

I personally enjoyed this book a lot, it was a very relaxing read whilst travelling for many hours. I have never read a full on romance book before, but I'm glad that Kleinman has introduced this genre to me, and that this book was the first romance of many to come. I love how it ended, but it did seem a little rushed, like Kleinman herself didn't really know what was going to happen. However, I did love how the ending relates to the prologue. Gave my brain a tiny explosion when I read over the prologue again afterwards.

If I'm honest, I'm not the biggest fan of fast paced books. But I did still enjoy it. This novel gave me a sense of finding love for yourself before you give it to others, otherwise life can become quite stressful when you're pleasing everyone around you but don't fully feel confident in yourself. Well done, Kleinman! You did good.

My favourite quote throughout the whole story has to be:

"If I could become a smile from smiling, I would've become a smile."

When I read it I couldn't stop smiling and laughing myself, and the thought behind it is so positive and lovely I couldn't resist using it as my favourite quote.

***SPOILERS***
!!!Do not read on if you haven't read this book!!!

Not going to lie, I was totally team Ethan. When Sara almost gave up their relationship to be with Tad, I was livid. I also loved how Sara stuck up for herself instead of feeling like an object to be tossed between the two men, it felt very powerful! Especially when you think of how dependent on others she was throughout the book.

CHARACTERS

SARA- honestly, it took me some time to warm up to her. Up until the end of her and Tads relationship I wasn't too keen on her, she felt too naïve and unrealistic. I did enjoy how she started to become realistic towards the end of her first relationship, and started to finally see through all the lies Tad told. Oh, and her infatuation with Tad does start to become a little bit annoying.

TAD- What a jerk! Loved this character until he admitted to having a fiancée! What was her name? Pasta? (Hehe). I can't believe he was able to get Sara to stay in that relationship with him. What a snake. Ever since then I was extremely iffy on this character, no matter how Calvin Klein model-ish he may look. He was too perfect to be good.

ETHAN- I think I started to fall in love with this character myself, never mind Sara. He is adorable and quirky, and even fought for Sara when is was clear she preferred Tad. It's obvious he is insecure but he still didn't give up, and that is so admirable. Gah I love him. I'm so glad she chose Ethan! A little bit jealous, though. Can we share him? One thing I do wish is that Kleinman wrote a little bit more about Ethan's and Sara's relationship, instead of rushing towards the end.

MITCHELL- I totally wish he had more appearances throughout the book! My second favourite character(behind Ethan) as he was completely hilarious and had the awesome 'gay best friend' relationship with Sara. He never failed to make me giggle.

EMMA- I loved when her and Sara had bonding moments, and I especially loved it when she seemed more wise even though she was younger. The quote, "sometimes the best things come out of stupid ideas," proves how she is wise beyond her years.

Overall, I am very glad I read this book, and despite having off moments throughout it, I did thoroughly enjoy it. Thank you, Loren! :)

[Wulfwyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like reading romance books. It is not my favorite genre though. In all honesty, I figured I would like it and it would be a distraction from the stress of my life. I did not expect this book to become a favorite, but it did. After finishing it I wanted to go back and read it again. It took me back to my first love. It took me back to those days when I didn't know who I was or what I wanted even though I believed I did. I know people don't like to revisit the awkward or uncertain times. The romances that ended in tears. The awfulness of unrequited love. The indecision of love triangles. The heartbreak of just realizing you are not the one. I, however, like remembering. I feel that everyone who was in my life had a reason to be there and helped shaped me in some way. For me, it was easy to fall under the spell of this book.
The story is Sara's. She is at the beginning of her adult life. She writes poetry. is waiting to hear back from the school where she hopes to get her Masters and then she meets Tad. Their romance moved quickly. There were bumps and separations. Then the breakup. Enter Ethan. Their romance also moves quickly. Then Tad returns. What will Sara do? Who does she truly love?
I liked Sara most of the time. She did seem to go with the flow a bit easily. This part of her personality made it easy for me to understand how she fell in love so quickly. I liked her friend Mitchell a lot. I would have liked to know more about him but the circumstances in this story, like life, didn't permit this. I know some may say that Sara and her dilemma are not realistic but I thought they were. I know a lot of women who put friends on the back burner when they get into certain relationships. I think most people have that one person who we wrapped ourselves around and made him/her our universe. This is what Sara did. Sometimes it turns out okay. More often it does not. I know some who made choices they regretted and some who have lived happily ever after. I enjoyed the drama, the emotions and the poetry. I loved the fact that both guys gave Sara support for her dreams, though one was better at it than the other.
There are some pretty steamy scenes in here along with sex outside of marriage, (and sex happening pretty quickly). There is also some pot smoking. There is profanity though it is not littered with it. None of that bothered me but I like to give a heads up to people who aren't comfortable with any of those types of scenes or words.
I would like to say thank you to BookTasters for introducing me to this book and to the author who provided a review ecopy of the book. I did not receive any compensation for this review. It contains my honest thoughts and opinion of this book.

[Fiction Vixens Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book that I've read by author Loren Kleinman ,and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this great story. This book was just like the others by Loren Kleinman ,it has elegant describes that just don't disappoint me . This story will grab us and hold our attention from start to finish, and will then leave us wanting more from this author. This reminds me of the innocence kind of love ,and how the mystery of exploring everything that goes with it is so exciting,but that be scary also . This story portrays what most young girls go through when their develop a crush and act on it. But really young girls just don't really have any idea ,what real love is all about. This story leads us on a journey with Sara Brody's well she falls in love with Tad Bolak , and how she reacted when her heart gets broken when she finds out that Tad has an fiancee in Europe , we get to witness all the times that she goes through the pain of a broken heart , which everyone would feel the same way if it happened to them. Then Sara starts college ,and she ends up meeting Ethan and falls for him , but at lease she's not thinking of Tad. But guess who shows up yes Tad ,he's like a bad rash that she can't get rid of, it seems Tad wants her back. But Ethan wants her to give him and their relationship a chance.But will Sara pick sweet Ethan or lair Tad? But deep down she believes Tad is her soulmate ,or will it be Ethan who she loved for helping her to get better . This was a quick read that has everything you will want in a story.The main characters were well developed and ,and the dialogue was so great, and the background stories were really interesting , and the ending make me happy because it ended so perfect. I really like when a book that bring out emotions well read it. I could tell you more about this story ,but that would spoil it for you. I highly recommend that you read this touching story ,you won't be disappointed .

[Trista Borgwardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not my normal genre of book to read, however, once I started reading, I found myself deeply involved with Sarah and her volatile romance with Tad. After they met, it was a deep infatuation that turned to love almost too quickly. When Tad left to go back to his home country it was heartbreaking. There were many heartbreaking moments with Tad and I really wanted to yell at Sarah a few times for being such an idiot and believing his tales and giving him another chance. That is exactly how love works though and the author captured this beautifully.

Upon the final parting of Sarah and Tad, Sarah went on to focus on her studies and eventually met Ethan. Just when it feels as though Sarah and Ethan have a chance, that damned Tad comes back into the picture leaving me wanting to to scream at Sarah again. However, when there is unresolved feelings, it is difficult to move on. Sarah never dealt with her loss of Tad, but instead buried it and pretended to move on. Sarah isn't able to truly move on until she resolves her feelings and is honest with herself.

Leading up to the end of the book, Sarah finds herself in quite the predicament. Which man will she choose to have by her side....Tad....Ethan or neither. This book was a nice quick read and kept me engaged throughout the entire story. The characters were real and unique, and as frustrating as the love triangle was and Sarah's decision-making skills were when it came to Tad, it was a very realistic portrayal of someone in love.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the author, Loren Kleinman, in exchange for an honest review.

In this story we follow Sara Brody as she deals with love, heartbreak, falls in love all over again & finds herself in the process.

It's a really fast paced book as the chapters are really short & easy to read. One of the many things I really enjoyed from it is how relatable & realistic the characters are. The way Sara throws herself into love & lost herself because of it. The way she is scared, insecure & how everyone around her tries to guide her & make her see the way she is acting & her not wanting to listen to them & her internal conflict with it is something that some women goes through at some point in their lives (me included).

That said I did feel the relationships with Tad & Ethan were too rushed for my liking. But at the same time that has happened in real life with some couples I know.

The characters like I said where really relatable but I would have loved to read more about their relationship with the main character, Sara. My favorite characters where Emma (her younger sister), Mitchell (her gay best friend) & Ethan (her second boyfriend). They did need a little more development because they had the potential for more.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and rated it 4/5 stars. Great characters, great premise, loved how realistic & relatable the story was. The only thing that needed work was development. Honestly a great read, highly recommended.

[Misty's Book Space · Rating 3 out of 5]

.I received a free copy of this book from the author through BookTasters on Twitter in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge romance fan and normally insta love doesn't bother me but Tad and Sara it happened way to fast and it didn't seem realistic. Also everything that included Tad was just so corny. The relationship between Ethan and Sara although still insta love felt more realistic to me. The whole book is pretty much all about Tad and Sara's relationship. Ethan doesn't come in until closer to the end of the book which is unfortunate because that part of the story was my favorite. I wish there would have been more of Ethan and Sara. Sara came off a little childish to be a 22 year old. Everybody warned her about Tad but she just ignored them only to come to the same conclusion herself later. However at the very end she finally stood up for herself which I was so happy for. The ending was perfect all the drama and then she finally made her choice which I am very happy with

Because it was late last night when I wrote this review I forgot the most important part and that is to say thank you so much to the author Loren Kleinman for sending me a copy of this book.

[Rocio Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book from the author through @booktasters (thank you very much)

So this was a quick read for me
I really enjoyed it
For me the story wasn't about the love interests but more about sara finding out who she is and what she wants and also learning to love herself
Putting that aside i did quite enjoy the romance
At the begging i really liked tad, his relationship with her and all the things they do together but then we found out about his fiancé and sara forgave him which i just couldnt believe

I liked Ethan since he was introduced i like that he's funny and pretentious i also like that he is a writer so he helps sara with her writers block and she helps him with his writing and they understand each other and have arguments and discussions about books and writing i like how they talk about everything and nothing

I loved the ending of the story and how everything concluded

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I normally don't read YA books but the description interested me so I thought I'd give it a try. It started out slow to me so it didn't get my attention right away. I kept reading though. It got more interesting once Ethan came in the picture and was wondering which man she was going to choose. She liked to write but once she hooked up with Tad she didn't work on it much at all. After some time they break up. She stays to herself for awhile and doesn't socialize much except with her friend. She decides to totally move on and then meets Ethan. They dated for a few months and out of knowwhere Tad contacts her. She's in love with two guys and has to decide which one she loves more. I'm not going to tell you who she chooses. You have to read it to find out. Happy reading:)

[Richard De Fino · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book that I read from author Loren Kleinman and just like the others, this book failed to disappoint me. I loved it, especially being the first romance novel that I ever read!
This book reminded me of the innocence of love and the mystery of exploring a new romance. This Way to Forever had everything that you could want in a book. It had great dialogue, great background stories, well developed characters and a perfect ending. I would highly recommend this book to anyone!
When I read something that makes me physically smile and laugh out loud, or feel sad for a character, when I can feel an actual emotion, then I know that I found a great book and this book did all of that for me!

[Maria Rivas-mc · Rating 4 out of 5]

A snapshot in time. The writing, in part, reads almost like a poem (with actual poetry included) and reminds me of the work of DH Lawrence (who is mentioned in the book). I understood the character but couldn't quite like her. Brody's angst is every woman's at some point in their lives but her self absorption was just too much to bear. Her struggle to regain her intrinsic self that somehow got lost in her love for another is the main focus of the book. There are secondary characters who try to point her, guide her; she seems to 'hear' them but doesn't quite listen. But, then, who does at 22? It's all part of living, and life. I was given a free copy via Booktasters for an honest review.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an e-copy of this lovely book in exchange for a review. I thought this was an interesting, thoughtful story about young love, maturing as an individual and a nice dash of feminism for the young adult reader. I also liked that the main character, Sara grew as a strong female throughout the novel which is a lovely lesson for younger readers. As a reader, I appreciated the writer within a novel aspect to the book. There were also plenty of literary references and the reader can take heed of these recommendations and keep discovering great writing long after finishing this interesting romance.

[Margery Walshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

"This Way to Forever" is a smart and beautifully written YA novel. Author Loren Kleinman has written many books of poetry and her expertise in this genre shines through in her first YA novel. The protagonist is a writer whose prose is also very poetic. But what's best is how her protagonist, Sara Brody, navigates love and heartache and through it all remains true to herself.

This is a book that will appeal to the adults who love YA, but it's also perfect reading for any young woman who has ever wondered if there is such a thing as happily ever after and how to find it.

[Maari · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story for all ages
Ms. Kleinman writes so elegantly.. I probably felt the closest to swooning as possible, just reading her words. Most people may get a romance out of this book, but to me, it was more about the main female character finding and remaining true to herself. I enjoyed this book, although, to me, it could have been longer, that way I could get to know and feel more connected to the characters.

[Kevina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received the book for free from the author on Twitter on the Booktasters page. She's now one of my favorite authors! The main characters rollercoaster relationship almost made my heart stop. i didn't like how Tad lied to Sara when it was convenient but their love for each other made me swoon! the story is not just about love, it's about learning to love the person with everything, mistakes, good and bad. Loved it!

[R.K. MacPherson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent first novel, with realistic characters and situations. Kleinman captures the unique characteristics of youth without fetishizing them, and delivers a romance that is relatable and hopeful. Good dialogue helped the story fly by. If you're looking for romance, and reminiscence, then This Way to Forever is well-worth your time.

[Danielle Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loren Kleinman's "This Way to Forever" is a good read. It's a story of a choice between two suitors. It feels very real. I've had relationships like both of these. The writing it very detailed and it makes you want to keep reading. There is a closed door approach to the intimate scenes. I will definitely check out this author again.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a slight 'New Adult' vibe to it; and it reflects how people idealize love; as well as something that people unfortunately take very lightly. I got a copy in exchange for an honest review.